How to visit Cinque Terre in a day from Florence
I will start by saying if you do have time to spend a few nights along Cinque Terre, I would absolutely do so as it is incredibly beautiful! However we only had 1 day to see it all and so this is for those who are short on time, yet still want to see what all of the fuss is about!
“Cinque Terre is the name given to the 5 villages or towns along the Italian Riviera. Think of it a bit like the Amalfi Coast of the north! ”
The Locations
Cinque Terre is made up of the following locations:
Monterosso al Mare
Vernazza
Corniglia
Manarola
Riomaggiore
The Transport
The main train station that you can arrive into from most major areas is La Spezia. I travelled from Florence directly to La Spezia, and returned back from there via Pisa.
You can buy a 1,2 or 3-day train pass, allowing you to explore the 5 villages as much as you want. The costs range from €18 - €50 depending on the pass selected, but are a great option for travel around Cinque Terre. These can be purchased at La Spezia train station.
The Itinerary
7:50am - 10:05am
Train from Firenze Campo Marte to La Spezia Centrale
Train from La Spezia Centrale to Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore
These trains were very chill and easy, despite the early start!
Upon arriving in Riomaggiore, we gave ourselves 5 hours to explore Cinque Terre, and this involved going to Riomaggiore, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza! Each place is quite small and so we spent around 1.5 hours at each place before moving on.
3:25pm - 6pm
Train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia Centrale
Train from La Spezia Centrale to Pisa Centrale
Train from Pisa Centrale to Firenze Santa Maria Novella
The way home was a little more disjointed as we got an additional train, however this isn’t necessary and you can still go from La Spezia to Florence depending on the time you wish to travel. Our specific time has us go via Pisa.
“I didn’t feel as though this was rushed at all, and so if you wish to see Cinque Terre whilst visiting Florence, but are time poor, this is a great option! ”
But I would also recommend staying a couple of nights in the region if possible, so you can really explore all 5 amazing villages!